U.S. patent application number 17/234501 was filed with the patent office on 2021-10-21 for systems and methods for communicating information.
The applicant listed for this patent is Polaris Industries Inc.. Invention is credited to Steven B. Elgee, Benjamin S. Fuchs, Chiao George Liu, Andrew C. Schmid, Jake A. Stafford, Scott D. Taylor.
Application Number | 20210329368 17/234501 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000005566555 |
Filed Date | 2021-10-21 |
United States Patent
Application |
20210329368 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Stafford; Jake A. ; et
al. |
October 21, 2021 |
SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR COMMUNICATING INFORMATION
Abstract
Systems and methods for communicating information related to a
wearable device are disclosed. Exemplary information includes audio
information.
Inventors: |
Stafford; Jake A.; (New
Brighton, MN) ; Taylor; Scott D.; (Blaine, MN)
; Elgee; Steven B.; (Portland, OR) ; Liu; Chiao
George; (White Bear Lake, MN) ; Schmid; Andrew
C.; (Brooklyn Park, MN) ; Fuchs; Benjamin S.;
(Nowthen, MN) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Polaris Industries Inc. |
Medina |
MN |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
1000005566555 |
Appl. No.: |
17/234501 |
Filed: |
April 19, 2021 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
63012811 |
Apr 20, 2020 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04R 2460/01 20130101;
G10K 2210/1082 20130101; G10K 11/1785 20180101; G10K 2210/1282
20130101; G10K 2210/3012 20130101; G10K 2210/1081 20130101; G06N
20/00 20190101; G10K 11/17823 20180101; H04R 1/1083 20130101 |
International
Class: |
H04R 1/10 20060101
H04R001/10; G10K 11/178 20060101 G10K011/178; G06N 20/00 20060101
G06N020/00 |
Claims
1. A wearable device for noise-cancelling of ambient sounds, the
wearable device comprising: an exterior microphone; a speaker; a
processor; and memory comprising instructions that when executed by
the processor cause the processor to: receive audio input signals
from the exterior microphone of the wearable device; perform an
active noise control to filter ambient noise from the audio input
signals; and deliver the filtered audio signals to the user via a
speaker of the wearable device.
2. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the exterior microphone
is mounted on an exterior surface of the wearable device to capture
environment sounds.
3. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein an interior microphone
is mounted on an interior surface of the wearable device facing
toward a user of the wearable device to capture a user's voice.
4. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein to perform the active
noise control comprises to detect ambient noise from the audio
input signals.
5. The wearable device of claim 4, wherein to detect ambient noise
from the audio input signals comprises to detect ambient noise
using machine learning algorithms.
6. A method for noise-cancelling of ambient sounds captured by a
wearable device, the method comprising: receiving, by the wearable
device, audio input signals from an exterior microphone of the
wearable device; performing, by the wearable device, an active
noise control to filter ambient noise from the audio input signals;
and delivering, by the wearable device, the filtered audio signals
to the user via a speaker of the wearable device.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein the exterior microphone is
mounted on an exterior surface of the wearable device to capture
environment sounds.
8. The method of claim 6, wherein performing the active noise
control comprises detecting ambient noise from the audio input
signals.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein detecting ambient noise from the
audio input signals comprises detecting ambient noise using machine
learning algorithms.
10. A light indicator system comprising: a light source embedded in
a first wearable device worn by a user; and a light pipe embedded
in a second wearable device, the light pipe adapted to transfer
light from the light source into a field of view of the user and
configured to provide an indication or a notification to the
user.
11. The light indicator system of claim 10, wherein the first
wearable device is a helmet and the second wearable device is a
goggle.
12. The light indicator system of claim 10, wherein the first
wearable device and the second wearable device are integrated into
a single housing.
13. The light indicator system of claim 10, wherein the light pipe
is made of acrylic, polycarbonate, and/or a material that has a
light-reflective property.
14. A wearable device comprising: an earpiece adapted to cover at
least a portion of a user's ear; an actuator connected to the
earpiece; and a controller communicatively coupled to the actuator
and configured to receive a vehicle state of a vehicle to activate
the actuator to control a position of the earpiece based in part on
the vehicle state.
15. The wearable device of claim 14, wherein the vehicle state
includes a gear position of the vehicle.
16. The wearable device of claim 15, wherein the controller
activates the actuator to push the earpiece into the user's ear in
response to receiving the vehicle state indicating that the vehicle
is in a drive gear.
17. The wearable device of claim 16, wherein the controller
activates the actuator to move the earpiece back away from the
user's ear in response to receiving the vehicle state indicating
that the vehicle is no longer in the drive gear.
18. The wearable device of claim 15, wherein the controller is
further configured to adjust the position of the actuator based on
an engine speed, a vehicle speed, a vehicle acceleration, and/or a
vehicle deceleration.
19. The wearable device of claim 14, wherein the vehicle state
includes a gear position, an engine speed, a vehicle speed, vehicle
acceleration, and/or vehicle deceleration.
Description
RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Application No. 63/012,811, filed Apr. 20, 2020, titled SYSTEMS AND
METHODS FOR COMMUNICATING INFORMATION, the entire disclosure of
which is expressly incorporated by reference herein. This
application is related to U.S. Provisional Application No.
63/012,814, filed Apr. 20, 2020, titled SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR
VOICE RECEPTION AND DETECTION, U.S. Patent Application No.
(unknown), filed ______, titled SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR
COMMUNICATING INFORMATION, docket PLR-15-28676.02P-02-US, U.S.
Patent Application No. (unknown), filed ______, titled SYSTEMS AND
METHODS FOR COMMUNICATING INFORMATION, docket
PLR-15-28676.02P-03-US, and U.S. Patent Application No. (unknown),
filed ______, titled SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR COMMUNICATING
INFORMATION, docket PLR-15-28676.02P-04-US, the entire disclosures
of which are expressly incorporated by reference herein.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to a communication
system and, more particularly, to a communication system having a
microphone for voice reception and/or voice detection.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Recreational vehicles, such as motorcycles, or off-road
vehicles such as all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and snowmobiles, are
widely used for recreational purposes. During rides, users (e.g.,
drivers/riders) may control some features of the recreational
vehicles via voice commands and/or may participate in telephone or
radio communications. To do so, the users may wear wearable devices
with one or more microphones (e.g., a headset or a helmet with a
microphone) to capture user's voice or speech. However, it is
inevitable that the microphones also capture noise (e.g., engine
noise, tire noise, wind noise) in addition to the voice of the user
during the rides.
SUMMARY
[0004] As set forth above, embodiments provided herein relate to
route planning for a recreational vehicle. Exemplary embodiments
include but are not limited to the following examples.
[0005] In one aspect, a wearable device for noise-cancelling of
ambient sounds is provided. The wearable device includes an
exterior microphone, a speaker, a processor, and memory including
instructions that when executed by the processor cause the
processor to receive audio input signals from the exterior
microphone of the wearable device, perform an active noise control
to filter ambient noise from the audio input signals, and deliver
the filtered audio signals to the user via a speaker of the
wearable device.
[0006] In some embodiments, the exterior microphone may be mounted
on an exterior surface of the wearable device to capture
environment sounds. In other embodiments, an interior microphone
may be mounted on an interior surface of the wearable device facing
toward a user of the wearable device to capture a user's voice.
[0007] In some embodiments, to perform the active noise control may
include to detect ambient noise from the audio input signals.
[0008] In some embodiments, to detect ambient noise from the audio
input signals may include to detect ambient noise using machine
learning algorithms.
[0009] In another aspect, a method for noise-cancelling of ambient
sounds captured by a wearable device is provided. The method
includes receiving, by the wearable device, audio input signals
from an exterior microphone of the wearable device, performing, by
the wearable device, an active noise control to filter ambient
noise from the audio input signals, and delivering, by the wearable
device, the filtered audio signals to the user via a speaker of the
wearable device.
[0010] In some embodiments, the exterior microphone may be mounted
on an exterior surface of the wearable device to capture
environment sounds. In other embodiments, the interior microphone
may be mounted on an interior surface of the wearable device facing
toward a user of the wearable device to capture a user's voice.
[0011] In other embodiments, performing the active noise control
may include detecting ambient noise from the audio input
signals.
[0012] In other embodiments, detecting ambient noise from the audio
input signals may include detecting ambient noise using machine
learning algorithms.
[0013] In another aspect, a wearable device for establishing a
communication channel between the wearable device and a
recreational vehicle that is in close proximity to the wearable
device is provided. The wearable device includes a communication
device, a processor operatively coupled to the communication
device, and memory comprising instructions that when executed by
the processor cause the processor to detect a recreational vehicle
that is in a range of the communication device, determine, in
response to a detection by the wearable device, if the wearable
device has been previously paired with the recreational vehicle,
and establish, in response to a determination that the wearable
device has been previously paired with the recreational vehicle, a
communication channel with the recreational vehicle.
[0014] In some embodiments, to detect the recreational vehicle that
is in the range of the communication device may include to detect a
recreational vehicle using at least one of radiofrequency fields,
magnetic fields, and sound waves.
[0015] In some embodiments, to detect the recreational vehicle that
is in the range of the communication device may include to: detect
radio signals generated by a recreational vehicle, determine a
strength of the radio signals, determine whether the strength of
the radio signals is above a predefined threshold, and determine,
in response to a determination that the strength of the radio
signals is above the predefined threshold, that the recreational
vehicle is in the range of the communication device.
[0016] In some embodiments, to detect the recreational vehicle that
is in the range of the communication device may include to: detect
low frequency magnetic fields generated by a recreational vehicle,
determine a strength of the low frequency magnetic fields,
determine a distance from the recreational vehicle based on the
strength of the low frequency magnetic fields, and determine
whether the recreational vehicle is in the range of the
communication device.
[0017] In some embodiments, to detect the recreational vehicle that
is in the range of the communication device may include to: detect
sound waves generated by a recreational vehicle, measure an elapsed
time of the sound waves using the speed of sound, determine a
distance from the recreational vehicle based on the elapsed time,
and determine whether the recreational vehicle is in the range of
the communication device.
[0018] In some embodiments, the elapsed time may be a time duration
between a start time that the sound waves were transmitted from the
recreational vehicle and an end time the sound waves were received
by the wearable device.
[0019] In some embodiments, the memory may further include
instructions that when executed by the processor cause the
processor to perform, in response to a determination that the
wearable device has not been previously paired with the
recreational vehicle and by the wearable device, an initial pairing
process to set up a communication channel between the wearable
device
[0020] In some embodiments, to perform the initial pairing process
may include to: prompt a user of the wearable device whether to
pair with the recreational vehicle, receive an authorization from
the user, and communicate with the recreational vehicle to
establish the communication channel.
[0021] In some embodiments, to perform the initial pairing process
may include to: prompt a user of the recreational vehicle whether
to pair with the wearable device, receive an authorization from the
user, and communicate with the wearable device to establish the
communication channel.
[0022] In some embodiments, the communication channel may be an
audio communication channel.
[0023] In another aspect, a method for establishing a communication
channel between the wearable device and a recreational vehicle that
is in close proximity to the wearable device is provided. The
method includes detecting, by the wearable device, a recreational
vehicle that is in a range of a communication device of the
wearable device, determining, in response to detecting that the
recreational vehicle is in a range of a communication device of the
wearable device and by the wearable device, if the wearable device
has been previously paired with the recreational vehicle, and
establishing, in response to determining that the wearable device
has been previously paired with the recreational vehicle and by the
wearable device, a communication channel with the recreational
vehicle.
[0024] In some embodiments, detecting the recreational vehicle that
is in a range of a communication device of the wearable device may
include detecting, by the wearable device, a recreational vehicle
using at least one of radiofrequency fields, magnetic fields, and
sound waves.
[0025] In some embodiments, detecting the recreational vehicle
recreational vehicle that is in a range of a communication device
of the wearable device may include detecting, by the wearable
device, radio signals generated by a recreational vehicle,
determining, by the wearable device, a strength of the radio
signals, determining, by the wearable device, whether the strength
of the radio signals is above a predefined threshold, and
determining, in response to determining that the strength of the
radio signals is above the predefined threshold and by the wearable
device, that the recreational vehicle is the range of the
communication device.
[0026] In some embodiments, detecting the recreational vehicle
recreational vehicle that is in a range of a communication device
of the wearable device may include detecting, by the wearable
device, low frequency magnetic fields generated by a recreational
vehicle, determining, by the wearable device, a strength of the low
frequency magnetic fields, determining, by the wearable device, a
distance from the recreational vehicle based on the strength of the
low frequency magnetic fields, and determining, by the wearable
device, whether the recreational vehicle is the range of the
communication device.
[0027] In some embodiments, detecting the recreational vehicle
recreational vehicle that is in a range of a communication device
of the wearable device may include detecting, by the wearable
device, sound waves generated by a recreational vehicle, measuring,
by the wearable device, an elapsed time of the sound waves using
the speed of sound, determining, by the wearable device, a distance
from the recreational vehicle based on the elapsed time, and
determining, by the wearable device, whether the recreational
vehicle is the range of the communication device.
[0028] In some embodiments, the elapsed time is a time duration
between a start time that the sound waves were transmitted from the
recreational vehicle and an end time the sound waves were received
by the wearable device.
[0029] In some embodiments, the method may further include
performing, in response to determining that the wearable device has
not been previously paired with the recreational vehicle and by the
wearable device, an initial pairing process to set up a
communication channel between the wearable device.
[0030] In some embodiments, performing the initial pairing process
may include prompting, by the wearable device, a user of the
wearable device whether to pair with the recreational vehicle,
receiving, by the wearable device, an authorization from the user,
and communicating, by the wearable device, with the recreational
vehicle to establish the communication channel.
[0031] In some embodiments, performing the initial pairing process
may include prompting, by the recreational vehicle, a user of the
recreational vehicle whether to pair with the wearable device,
receiving, by the recreational vehicle, an authorization from the
user, and communicating, by the recreational vehicle, with the
wearable device to establish the communication channel.
[0032] In some embodiments, the communication channel may be an
audio communication channel.
[0033] In other aspect, a wearable device for minimizing a battery
power usage of a wearable device is provided. The wearable device
includes a communication device, a processor, and memory comprising
instructions that when executed by the processor cause the
processor to: determine if a recreational vehicle is in a range of
the communication device, determine, in response to a determination
that the recreational vehicle is in the range of the communication
device, a state of an engine of the recreational vehicle, and
activate, in response to a determination that the engine of the
recreational vehicle is running, a noise-cancelling feature of the
wearable device.
[0034] In some embodiments, to determine the state of the engine of
the recreational vehicle may include to measure a harmonic content
of the engine to determine the state of the engine of the
recreational vehicle.
[0035] In some embodiments, to determine the state of the engine of
the recreational vehicle may include to receive a message from the
recreational vehicle including the state of the engine.
[0036] In some embodiments, the recreational vehicle may be in the
range of the communication device when the wearable device is near
or inside a recreational vehicle.
[0037] In some embodiments, the memory further comprising
instructions that when executed by the processor cause the
processor to: activate, in response to a determination that the
recreational vehicle is not in the range of the communication
device, the wearable device without a noise-cancelling feature,
determine whether an elapsed time exceeds a predefined threshold,
and inactivate, in response to a determination that the elapsed
time exceeds the predefined threshold, the wearable device.
[0038] In some embodiments, the memory further comprising
instructions that when executed by the processor cause the
processor to: activate, in response to a determination that the
engine of the recreational vehicle is not running, the wearable
device without a noise-cancelling feature, determine whether an
elapsed time exceeds a predefined threshold, and inactivate, in
response to a determination that the elapsed time exceeds the
predefined threshold, the wearable device.
[0039] In other aspect, a method for minimizing a battery power
usage of a wearable device is provided. The method includes
determining, by a wearable device, if a recreational vehicle is in
a range of the communication device, determining, in response to a
determination that the recreational vehicle is in the range of the
communication device and by a wearable device, a state of an engine
of the recreational vehicle, and activating, in response to a
determination that the engine of the recreational vehicle is
running and by a wearable device, a noise-cancelling feature of the
wearable device.
[0040] In some embodiments, determining the state of the engine of
the recreational vehicle may include measuring a harmonic content
of the engine to determine the state of the engine of the
recreational vehicle.
[0041] In some embodiments, determining the state of the engine of
the recreational vehicle may include receiving a message from the
recreational vehicle including the state of the engine.
[0042] In some embodiments, the recreational vehicle may be in the
range of the communication device when the wearable device is near
or inside a recreational vehicle.
[0043] In some embodiments, the method may further include
activating, in response to determining that the recreational
vehicle is not in the range of the communication device, the
wearable device without a noise-cancelling feature, determining, by
the wearable device, whether an elapsed time exceeds a predefined
threshold, and inactivating, in response to determining that the
elapsed time exceeds the predefined threshold and by the wearable
device, the wearable device.
[0044] In some embodiments, the method may further include
activating, in response to determining that the engine of the
recreational vehicle is not running and by the wearable device, the
wearable device without a noise-cancelling feature, determining, by
the wearable device, whether an elapsed time exceeds a predefined
threshold, and inactivating, in response to determining that the
elapsed time exceeds the predefined threshold and by the wearable
device, the wearable device.
[0045] In other aspect, a system for wirelessly charging a wearable
device is provided. The system includes a recreational vehicle with
a seat having a charging pad configured to generate a magnetic
field, and a wearable device having a receiver configured to detect
the magnetic field and charge a battery of the wearable device.
[0046] In some embodiments, the charging pad may be embedded in a
headrest of the seat of the recreational vehicle, and the receiver
is embedded at a back surface of the wearable device where the
wearable device is likely be in close proximity to the headrest of
the seat of the recreational vehicle.
[0047] In some embodiments, the wearable device may be a
helmet.
[0048] In other aspect, a method for wirelessly charging a wearable
device is provided. The method includes generating, by a charging
pad of a recreational vehicle, a magnetic field, detecting, by a
receiver of a wearable device, the magnetic field, and charging, by
the receiver of a wearable device, a battery of the wearable device
when the magnetic field is detected.
[0049] In some embodiments, the charging pad may be embedded in a
headrest of the seat of the recreational vehicle, and the receiver
is embedded at a back surface of the wearable device where the
wearable device is likely be in close proximity to the headrest of
the seat of the recreational vehicle.
[0050] In some embodiments, the wearable device may be a
helmet.
[0051] In other aspect, a recreational vehicle for guiding toward a
leading recreational vehicle is provided. The recreational vehicle
includes a processor and memory comprising instructions that when
executed by the processor cause the processor to: display a current
location of a leading recreational vehicle relative to a current
location of the recreational vehicle on a display screen of the
recreational vehicle, determine whether the recreational vehicle is
following a travel path of the leading recreational vehicle,
determine, in response to a determination that the recreational
vehicle is not following the riding path of the leading
recreational vehicle, a distance between the current location of
the recreational vehicle and the travel path, determine if the
distance exceeds a predefined threshold, and display, in response
to a determination that the distance exceeds the predefined
threshold, a visual warning alert on the display screen.
[0052] In some embodiments, the memory may further include
instructions that when executed by the processor cause the
processor to play, in response to a determination that the distance
exceeds the predefined threshold and by the recreational vehicle,
an audio warning alert via one or more speakers of the recreational
vehicle.
[0053] In some embodiments, the memory may further include
instructions that when executed by the processor cause the
processor to display one or more current locations of one or more
non-leading recreational vehicles relative to the current location
of the recreational vehicle on the display screen of the
recreational vehicle.
[0054] In other aspect, a method for guiding toward a leading
recreational vehicle is provided. The method includes displaying,
by a recreational vehicle, a current location of a leading
recreational vehicle relative to a current location of the
recreational vehicle on a display screen of the recreational
vehicle, determining, by the recreational vehicle, whether the
recreational vehicle is following a travel path of the leading
recreational vehicle, determining, in response to determining that
the recreational vehicle is not following the riding path of the
leading recreational vehicle and by the recreational vehicle, a
distance between the current location of the recreational vehicle
and the travel path, determining, by the recreational vehicle, if
the distance exceeds a predefined threshold, and displaying, in
response to determining that the distance exceeds the predefined
threshold and by the recreational vehicle, a visual warning alert
on the display screen.
[0055] In some embodiments, the method may further include playing,
in response to determining that the distance exceeds the predefined
threshold and by the recreational vehicle, an audio warning alert
via one or more speakers of the recreational vehicle.
[0056] In some embodiments, the method may further include
displaying, by the recreational vehicle, one or more current
locations of one or more non-leading recreational vehicles relative
to the current location of the recreational vehicle on the display
screen of the recreational vehicle.
[0057] In one aspect, a recreational vehicle for assisting
navigation using augmented reality is provided. The recreational
vehicle includes a compass, surround view cameras, a processor, and
memory comprising instructions that when executed by the processor
cause the processor to: display a live view of environment of the
recreational vehicle in a direction that the recreational vehicle
is travelling on a display screen of the recreational vehicle,
determine one or more point of interest markers, and overlay the
point of interest markers in augmented reality on the live view of
the environment on the display screen.
[0058] In some embodiments, the one or more point of interest
markers may include at least one of a destination location, a start
location, landmarks, and/or other recreational vehicle's
location.
[0059] In other aspect, a method for assisting navigation using
augmented reality is provided. The method includes displaying, by a
recreational vehicle, a live view of environment of the
recreational vehicle in a direction that the recreational vehicle
is travelling on a display screen of the recreational vehicle,
determinizing, by the recreational vehicle, one or more point of
interest markers, and overlaying, by the recreational vehicle, the
point of interest markers in augmented reality on the live view of
the environment on the display screen.
[0060] In some embodiments, the one or more point of interest
markers may include at least one of a destination location, a start
location, landmarks, and/or other recreational vehicle's
location.
[0061] In one aspect, a wearable device for assisting navigation
using augmented reality is provided. The wearable device includes a
processor and memory comprising instructions that when executed by
the processor cause the processor to: determine one or more point
of interest markers, and overlay the point of interest markers in
augmented reality on a live view of environment that the user is
viewing through a transparent display of the wearable device.
[0062] In some embodiments, the one or more point of interest
markers may include at least one of a destination location, a start
location, landmarks, and/or other recreational vehicle's
location.
[0063] In some embodiments, the wearable device may further include
a communication system that is communicatively coupled to a
recreational vehicle, wherein the memory further comprising
instructions that when executed by the processor cause the
processor to receive the point of interest markers from the
recreational vehicle.
[0064] In other aspect, a method for assisting navigation using
augmented reality is provided. The method includes determinizing,
by the wearable device, one or more point of interest markers, and
overlaying, by the wearable device, the point of interest markers
in augmented reality on a live view of environment that the user is
viewing through a transparent display of the wearable device.
[0065] In some embodiments, the one or more point of interest
markers may include at least one of a destination location, a start
location, landmarks, and/or other recreational vehicle's
location.
[0066] In some embodiments, the method may further include
receiving, by a communication system of the recreational vehicle
that is communicatively coupled to a recreational vehicle, the
point of interest markers from the recreational vehicle.
[0067] In one aspect, a light indicator system is provided. The
light indicator system comprising a light source embedded in a
first wearable device worn by a user and a light pipe embedded in a
second wearable device. The light pipe is adapted to transfer light
from the light source into a field of view of the user and
configured to provide an indication or a notification to the
user.
[0068] In some embodiments, the first wearable device may be a
helmet and the second wearable device may be a goggle
[0069] In some embodiments, the first wearable device and the
second wearable device may be integrated into a single housing.
[0070] In some embodiments, the light pipe may be made of acrylic,
polycarbonate, and/or a material that has a light-reflective
property.
[0071] In one aspect, a wearable device is provided. The wearable
device comprising an earpiece adapted to cover at least a portion
of a user's ear, an actuator connected to the earpiece, and a
controller communicatively coupled to the actuator. The controller
is configured to receive a vehicle state of a vehicle to activate
the actuator to control a position of the earpiece based in part on
the vehicle state.
[0072] In some embodiments, the vehicle state may include a gear
position of the vehicle.
[0073] In some embodiments, the controller may activate the
actuator to push the earpiece into the user's ear in response to
receiving the vehicle state indicating that the vehicle is in a
drive gear.
[0074] In some embodiments, the controller may activate the
actuator to move the earpiece back away from the user's ear in
response to receiving the vehicle state indicating that the vehicle
is no longer in the drive gear.
[0075] In some embodiments, the controller may further be
configured to adjust the position of the actuator based on an
engine speed, a vehicle speed, a vehicle acceleration, and/or a
vehicle deceleration.
[0076] In some embodiments, the vehicle state may include a gear
position, an engine speed, a vehicle speed, vehicle acceleration,
and/or vehicle deceleration.
[0077] In one aspect, an energy management system is provided. The
energy management system comprising an external battery and a
wearable device. The wearable device including a component that
requires power, an internal battery configured to provide energy to
the component, and an energy regulator connected to the internal
battery and removably coupled to the external battery and
configured to determine a battery level of the internal
battery.
[0078] In some embodiments, the external battery may be a vehicle
and/or a portable battery bank.
[0079] In some embodiments, the energy regulator may be configured
to charge the internal battery in response to a determination that
the battery level of the internal battery satisfies a first
condition.
[0080] In some embodiments, the energy regulator may be configured
to charge the internal battery to maintain the battery level of the
internal battery in response to a determination that the battery
level of the internal battery satisfies a second condition.
[0081] In some embodiments, the energy regulator may be configured
to supplement energy to the component in response to a
determination that the battery level of the internal battery is
satisfies a third condition.
[0082] While multiple embodiments are disclosed, still other
embodiments of the presently disclosed subject matter will become
apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed
description, which shows and describes illustrative embodiments of
the disclosed subject matter. Accordingly, the drawings and
detailed description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature
and not restrictive.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0083] The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of
this disclosure, and the manner of attaining them, will become more
apparent and will be better understood by reference to the
following description of embodiments of the invention taken in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
[0084] FIG. 1 illustrates a system for noise-cancelling of ambient
sounds including a wearable device that is communicatively coupled
to a recreational vehicle, according to an example of the present
disclosure;
[0085] FIG. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating a computer-implemented
method for noise-cancelling of ambient sounds using the wearable
device of FIG. 1;
[0086] FIG. 3 illustrates a system for voice reception of a user
including a wearable device of the user having a communication
system, according to an example of the present disclosure;
[0087] FIG. 4 illustrates a method for voice detection of the user
using the wearable device of FIG. 3;
[0088] FIGS. 5 and 6 are a flow diagram illustrating a
computer-implemented method for establishing a communication
channel between a recreational vehicle and a wearable device that
is in close proximity to the recreational vehicle;
[0089] FIGS. 7-9 are a flow diagram illustrating a
computer-implemented method for minimizing a battery power usage of
a wearable device using a location of the wearable device and
vehicle state information;
[0090] FIG. 10 illustrates a system for wirelessly charging a
wearable device while riding a recreational vehicle;
[0091] FIG. 11 is an example screenshot of a display screen of a
recreational vehicle when a user of the recreational vehicle is not
following a leading recreational vehicle;
[0092] FIG. 12 is an example screenshot of a display screen of a
recreational vehicle having augmented reality technology;
[0093] FIG. 13 is an exemplary helmet with a goggle light pipe
indicator;
[0094] FIG. 14 is a simplified block diagram of an earpiece
actuation system of a helmet; and
[0095] FIG. 15 is a simplified block diagram of a helmet energy
management system of a helmet.
[0096] Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding
parts throughout the several views. Although the drawings represent
embodiments of the present disclosure, the drawings are not
necessarily to scale, and certain features may be exaggerated in
order to better illustrate and explain the present disclosure. The
exemplification set out herein illustrates an embodiment of the
disclosure, in one form, and such exemplifications are not to be
construed as limiting the scope of the disclosure in any
manner.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0097] Various embodiments of the present invention will be
described in detail with reference to the drawings, wherein like
reference numerals represent like parts and assemblies throughout
the several views. Reference to various embodiments does not limit
the scope of the invention, which is limited only by the scope of
the claims attached hereto. Additionally, any examples set forth in
this specification are not intended to be limiting and merely set
forth some of the many possible embodiments for the claimed
invention.
[0098] Referring to FIG. 1, a system 100 for noise-cancelling of
ambient sounds is shown. In the illustrative embodiment, the system
100 includes a wearable device 110 (e.g., a helmet) that may be
communicatively coupled to a recreational vehicle 140. For example,
the wearable device 110 may be communicatively coupled to the
recreational vehicle 140 wirelessly (e.g., via Bluetooth or WiFi)
or via a wire. It should be appreciated that the wearable device
110 is adapted to be worn by a user (e.g., a driver/rider) when
riding the recreational vehicle 140 for safety and communication.
During the ride, environment noise (e.g., engine noise, tire noise,
wind) may hinder the user's ability to hear the sounds from the
wearable device 110 and may distract the user from enjoying the
ride. At the same time, completely blocking the environment noise
is not safe for the user as the user needs to be aware of the
environment for safety reasons. As such, the illustrative wearable
device 110 is configured to filter the environment noise while
allowing sounds, talking, and exterior noises that are not ambient
noise, such as traffic noise, warning sounds, and emergency vehicle
sounds, to be delivered to the user. An example of the wearable
device embodied as a helmet is described in U.S. patent application
Ser. No. 16/668,980 "Connected Helmet System And Method Of
Operating The Same," filed Oct. 30, 2019, the entire disclosure of
which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
[0099] In the illustrative embodiment, the wearable device 110
includes a communication system 120 that is configured to cancel
ambient noise detected from an exterior of the wearable device 110.
In the illustrative embodiment, the communication system 120
includes a processor 122, a memory 124, an input/output (I/O)
controller 126 (e.g., a network transceiver), a memory unit 128, an
user interface 130, an external microphone 132, an interior
microphone 134, and a speaker 136, all of which may be
interconnected via one or more address/data bus. Although the I/O
controller 126 is shown as a single block, it should be appreciated
that the I/O controller 126 may include a number of different types
of I/O components. The user interface 130 may include one or more
input devices that can receive user input (e.g., buttons, a touch
pad, a keyboard).
[0100] The processor 122 as disclosed herein may be any electronic
device that is capable of processing data, for example a central
processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a system
on a chip (SoC), or any other suitable type of processor. It should
be appreciated that the various operations of example methods
described herein (i.e., performed by the communication system 120)
may be performed by one or more processors 122. The memory 124 may
be a random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), a flash
memory, or any other suitable type of memory that enables storage
of data such as instruction codes that the processor 122 needs to
access in order to implement any method as disclosed herein. It
should be appreciated that although only one processor 122 is
shown, the communication system 120 may include multiple processors
122.
[0101] The communication system 120 may further include a database
138. As used herein, the term "database" may refer to a single
database or other structured data storage, or to a collection of
two or more different databases or structured data storage
components. In the illustrative embodiment, the database 138 is
part of the communication system 120. In some embodiments, the
communication system 120 may access the database 138 via a network
(not shown). The database 138 may store data that is received from
and/or to be transmitted to one or more communication systems of
the recreational vehicle 140 and/or the computing device 160 (e.g.,
a user's mobile device, another wearable device, or a server).
[0102] It should be appreciated that each of other wearable devices
includes a communication system similar to the communication system
120 of the wearable device 110. In general, the computing device
160 may include any existing or future devices capable of receiving
and/or transmitting data to and from the user. For example, the
computing device may be, but not limited to, a mobile device, a
smartphone, a tablet, wearable, smart glasses, a computer, a
notebook, a laptop, or any other suitable computing device that is
capable of communicating with the communication system 120 of the
wearable device 110.
[0103] The communication system 120 may further include a number of
software applications stored in memory unit 128, which may be
called a program memory. The various software applications on the
communication system 120 may include specific programs, routines,
or scripts for performing processing functions associated with the
methods described herein. Additionally or alternatively, the
various software applications on the communication system 120 may
include general-purpose software applications for data processing,
database management, data analysis, network communication, web
server operation, or other functions described herein or typically
performed by a communication system of a wearable device (e.g., a
helmet). The various software applications may be executed on the
same computer processor or on different computer processors.
Additionally, or alternatively, the software applications may
interact with various hardware modules that may be installed within
or connected to the communication system 120. Such modules may
implement part of or all of the various exemplary method functions
discussed herein or other related embodiments.
[0104] The external microphone 132 may be any electronic device
that are capable of capturing sound and converting into an
electrical audio output signal. The external microphone 132 is
configured to be positioned at the exterior of the wearable device
110 to capture sounds from the exterior of the wearable device 110.
For example, if the wearable device 110 is embodied as a helmet,
the external microphone 132 is mounted on an exterior surface of
the helmet to capture the environment sounds from the exterior of
the helmet. The environment sounds may include voices and sounds
that the user is interested in hearing or needs to hear to be aware
of the environment (e.g., traffic noise, warning sounds, and
emergency vehicle sounds). However, the environment sounds also
includes ambient noise, such as engine noise, tire noise, wind
noise, which may hinder the user's ability to hear the sounds
coming from the speaker 136 of the wearable device 110 during a
ride and may even distract the user from enjoying the ride. As
such, as discussed further in FIG. 2, the audio signals from the
external microphone 132 may be filtered to remove the ambient noise
but keep sounds, talking, and exterior noises that are not ambient
noise. It should be appreciated that although only one exterior
microphone is shown, the communication system 120 of the wearable
device 110 may include multiple exterior microphones.
[0105] The interior microphone 134 may be any electronic device
that are capable of capturing sound and converting into an
electrical audio output signal. The interior microphone 134 is
configured to be positioned on an interior surface of the wearable
device 110 facing toward the user's face to receive audible sound
from the user. For example, if the wearable device 110 is embodied
as a helmet, the interior microphone 134 is mounted inside the
helmet near the user's mouth to capture the user's speech or voice.
It should be appreciated that the audio signals from the interior
microphone 134 may be transmitted to a communication system (e.g.,
150), a navigation system, an entertainment system of the
recreational vehicle 140 for voice commands, phone or radio
communications, vehicle-to-vehicle communications, or other
wearable device-to-vehicle features (e.g., to create a
voice-to-text message or email). It should be appreciated that
although only one interior microphone is shown, the communication
system 120 of the wearable device 110 may include multiple interior
microphones.
[0106] The speaker 136 may be any electronic device that are
capable of producing sound in response to an electrical audio
signal input. In the illustrative embodiment, the speaker 136 is
positioned near the user's ears to transmit audible sound to the
user. If the wearable device 110 is embodied as a helmet, the
speaker 136 may be positioned inside the helmet near the user's
ears to transmit audible sound to the user. It should be
appreciated that the speaker 136 may be communicatively coupled to
the recreational vehicle 140 to receive audio from a communication
system, a navigation system, and/or an entertainment system of the
recreational vehicle 140 for music, navigation, phone or radio
communications, vehicle-to-vehicle communications, or other
wearable device-to-vehicle features (e.g., to create a
voice-to-text message or email). It should be appreciated that, in
some embodiments, the speaker 136 may be communicatively coupled to
the communication system 120 wirelessly (e.g., via Bluetooth or
WiFi). It should also be appreciated that although only one speaker
is shown, the communication system 120 of the wearable device 110
may include multiple speakers.
[0107] The system 100 may further include one or more computing
device (e.g., a user's mobile device or a server) and/or other
wearable devices that are communicatively coupled to the wearable
device 110 via a network (not shown). The network is any suitable
type of computer network that functionally couples the
communication system 120 of the wearable device 110 with the
recreational vehicle 140 and/or one or more computing devices
(e.g., a mobile device, a communication system of another wearable
device, and/or a server). The network may include a proprietary
network, a secure public internet, a virtual private network and/or
one or more other types of networks, such as dedicated access
lines, plain ordinary telephone lines, satellite links, cellular
data networks, or combinations thereof. In embodiments where the
network comprises the Internet, data communications may take place
over the network via an Internet communication protocol. The
network may be, or include, any number of different types of
communication networks such as, for example, a bus network, a short
messaging service (SMS), a local area network (LAN), a wireless LAN
(WLAN), a wide area network (WAN), a personal area network (PAN),
the Internet, a P2P network, custom-designed communication or
messaging protocols, and/or the like. The network may include a
combination of multiple networks.
[0108] It should be appreciated that this diagram is merely an
example, which should not unduly limit the scope of the claims. One
of ordinary skill in the art would recognize many variations,
alternatives, and modifications.
[0109] Referring now to FIG. 2, a computer-implemented method 200
for noise-canceling of the wearable device (e.g., 110) is shown. In
the illustrative embodiment, the method 200 is performed by the
communication system 120 of the wearable device 110. In block 202,
the communication system 120 receives audio input signals from the
exterior microphone 132 of the wearable device 110, which captures
sounds coming from the exterior of the wearable device 110. The
exterior microphone 132 may capture environment or ambient noise,
such as engine noise, tire noise, driveline noise, wind noise, and
clutch noise.
[0110] As discussed above, the environment noise (e.g., engine
noise, tire noise, wind) may hinder the user's ability to hear the
sounds from the wearable device 110 during a ride and may distract
the user from enjoying the ride. At the same time, completely
blocking the environment noise is not desired. As such, in block
204, the communication system 120 performs an active noise control
to cancel the ambient noise from the audio input signals. To do so,
the communication system 120 detects the ambient noise from the
audio input signals. In some embodiments, the communication system
120 may use machine learning algorithms to detect ambient noise, as
indicated in block 208. For example, the communication system 120
may be trained to learn to recognize various ambient noise
patterns, and those patterns may be stored in the database 138.
Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, the
communication system 120 may use current vehicle information of a
recreational vehicle (e.g., 140) that the user is riding to detect
or identify noise from the audio input signals. Specifically, such
noise may relate to engine noise that is generated based on a state
of an engine of the recreational vehicle.
[0111] The current vehicle information may include a
type/model/make of the recreational vehicle, a vehicle noise
profile associated with the recreational vehicle, and current state
of the engine of the recreational vehicle in or near real-time. The
current state of the engine may include any current state of the
engine parameters, such as an engine phase, an engine speed, a
transmission gear, a clutch position, a throttle position, and a
wheel speed of the recreational vehicle. It should be appreciated
that the vehicle noise profile may be generated based on known
engine parameters (e.g., an engine phase, an engine speed, a
transmission gear, a clutch position, a throttle position, and a
wheel speed) of the respective or similar recreational vehicle.
[0112] In other words, based on the current state of the engine of
the recreational vehicle, the communication system 120 may predict
what the expected noise is going to be and remove the expected
noise from the audio input signals from the exterior microphone 132
of the wearable device 110. This allows the communication system
120 to remove sudden noises generated by the vehicle that may not
have been otherwise characterized as noise. It should be
appreciated that, in the illustrative embodiment, the vehicle noise
profile is pre-loaded on the communication system 120 prior to
receiving the audio data. However, in some embodiments, the vehicle
noise profile may be obtained in real-time.
[0113] Subsequently, in block 212, the communication system 120
filters the detected ambient noise from the audio input signals.
For example, the communication system 120 may use a low pass filter
to remove high frequency noise and/or a high pass filter to remove
low frequency noise from the audio input signals.
[0114] Once the active noise control is performed, in block 214,
the communication system 120 delivers the filtered audio signals to
the user via the speaker 136. This allows the communication system
120 to filter the environment noise while allowing sounds, talking,
and exterior noises that are not ambient noise (e.g., traffic,
warning sound, emergency vehicle sound) to be delivered to the
user. It should be appreciated that the filtered audio signal may
also be delivered to a communication system (e.g., 150) of a
recreational vehicle (e.g., 140) or to any other device that may be
communicatively coupled to the communication system 120.
[0115] It should be appreciated that the method 200 may be
performed by the processor 122, the exterior microphone 132, the
speaker 136, or an analog circuitry (not shown) of the
communication system 120 of the wearable device 110.
[0116] Referring now to FIG. 3, a system 300 for detecting a voice
of a user (e.g., a driver/rider) of a recreational vehicle 340 via
a wearable device 302 (e.g., a helmet) is shown. The wearable
device 302 is adapted to be worn by the user when riding the
recreational vehicle 340 to detect user's voice or speech during
the ride. Detecting user's voice using a microphone 324 coupled to
the wearable device 302 during the ride may be challenging because
of sensitivity of the microphone 324 to ambient sounds, such as
engine noise, tire noise, and wind noise. To increase the
efficiency and efficacy of voice reception, the illustrative
wearable device 302 further includes an accelerometer 326, which is
described in detail below.
[0117] In the illustrative embodiment, the system 300 includes the
wearable device 302 having a communication system 310 that is
communicatively coupled to the recreational vehicle 340 wirelessly
(e.g., via Bluetooth or WiFi). However, it should be appreciated
that, in some embodiments, the wearable device 302 may be coupled
to the recreational vehicle 340 via a wire. The system 300 may
further include one or more wearable device 330 and/or one or more
computing devices 360 (e.g., a mobile device, a server) that are
communicatively coupled to the wearable device 302 via a network
350.
[0118] In the illustrative embodiment, the communication system 310
of the wearable device 302 includes a processor 312, a memory 314,
an input/output (I/O) controller 316 (e.g., a network transceiver),
a memory unit 318, an user interface 320, one or more speakers 322,
one or more microphones 324, and an accelerometer 326, all of which
may be interconnected via one or more address/data bus. Although
the I/O controller 316 is shown as a single block, it should be
appreciated that the I/O controller 316 may include a number of
different types of I/O components. The user interface 320 may
include one or more input devices that can receive user input
(e.g., buttons, a touch pad, a keyboard).
[0119] The processor 312 as disclosed herein may be any electronic
device that is capable of processing data, for example a central
processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a system
on a chip (SoC), or any other suitable type of processor. It should
be appreciated that the various operations of example methods
described herein (i.e., performed by the communication system 310)
may be performed by one or more processors 312. The memory 314 may
be a random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), a flash
memory, or any other suitable type of memory that enables storage
of data such as instruction codes that the processor 312 needs to
access in order to implement any method as disclosed herein. It
should be appreciated that although only one processor 312 is
shown, the communication system 310 may include multiple processors
312.
[0120] The communication system 310 may further include a database
328. As used herein, the term "database" may refer to a single
database or other structured data storage, or to a collection of
two or more different databases or structured data storage
components. In the illustrative embodiment, the database 328 is
part of the communication system 310. In some embodiments, the
communication system 310 may access the database 328 via a network
(e.g., a network 350). The database 328 may store data that is
received from and/or to be transmitted to one or more communication
systems of other wearable devices 330, a computing device 360, and
one or more recreational vehicles 380. It should be appreciated
that each of other wearable devices 330 includes a communication
system similar to the communication system 310 of the wearable
device 302.
[0121] In general, the computing device 360 may include any
existing or future devices capable of receiving and/or transmitting
data to and from the user. For example, the computing device may
be, but not limited to, a mobile device, a smartphone, a tablet,
wearable, smart glasses, a computer, a notebook, a laptop, or any
other suitable computing device that is capable of communicating
with the communication system 310 of the wearable device 302. It
should be appreciated that, in some embodiments, the computing
device 360 may be directly coupled to the wearable device 302 via a
wire.
[0122] The communication system 310 may further include a number of
software applications stored in memory unit 318, which may be
called a program memory. The various software applications on the
communication system 310 may include specific programs, routines,
or scripts for performing processing functions associated with the
methods described herein. Additionally or alternatively, the
various software applications on the communication system 310 may
include general-purpose software applications for data processing,
database management, data analysis, network communication, web
server operation, or other functions described herein or typically
performed by a communication system of a wearable device (e.g., a
helmet). The various software applications may be executed on the
same computer processor or on different computer processors.
Additionally, or alternatively, the software applications may
interact with various hardware modules that may be installed within
or connected to the communication system 310. Such modules may
implement part of or all of the various exemplary method functions
discussed herein or other related embodiments.
[0123] The one or more speakers 322 may be any electronic devices
that are capable of producing sound in response to an electrical
audio signal input. In the illustrative embodiment, the speakers
322 are positioned near the user's ears to transmit audible sound
to the user. If the wearable device 302 is embodied as a helmet,
the speakers 322 may be positioned inside the helmet near the
user's ears to transmit audible sound to the user. For example, the
electrical audio signal input may be received from the recreational
vehicle 340 via the one or more speaker 322 for voice commands,
phone communications, and/or radio communications (e.g.,
vehicle-to-vehicle communications). In some embodiments, the
electrical audio signal input may be directly received from a
communication system of another wearable device (e.g., 330) to
receive communications or messages from another user. In other
embodiments the communication system 310 of the wearable device 302
may be communicatively coupled to a user's mobile device (e.g., the
computing device 360). In such cases, the electrical audio signal
input may be directly received from a user's mobile device (e.g.,
the computing device 360) to, for example, deliver audio
conversations during a phone call, play music, and/or play back a
text message or email to the user via the one or more speaker
322.
[0124] The one or more microphones 324 may be any electronic
devices that are capable of capturing sound and converting into an
electrical audio output signal. In the illustrative embodiment, the
microphone 324 may be mounted near the user's mouth to receive
audible sound from the user. If the wearable device 302 is embodied
as a helmet, the microphone may be mounted outside and/or inside
the helmet near the user's mouth. For example, the electrical audio
output signals from the one or more microphones 324 may be
transmitted to the recreational vehicle 340 for voice commands,
phone communications, and/or radio communications (e.g.,
vehicle-to-vehicle communications). The electrical audio output
signal may be transmitted directly to a communication system of
another wearable device (e.g., 330) of another user to deliver
communication or message from the user to another user.
Additionally, in some embodiments, the communication system 310 may
directly communicate with the user's mobile device (e.g., the
computing device 340) for phone communications and/or for creating
a voice-to-text message or email to be sent to another computing
device.
[0125] The accelerometer 326 may be any sensor that is capable of
measuring frequency vibration. In the illustrative embodiment, the
accelerometer 326 is positioned where the wearable device 302 is
likely to be in contact with the user's head and/or neck. This
allows the accelerometer 326 to capture vibrations of the user's
head and/or neck to detect a voice or speech of the user. For
example, if the wearable device 302 is embodied as a helmet, the
accelerometer is mounted or embedded on an interior surface of the
helmet and is positioned where the cheek of the user is likely to
hit when wearing the helmet. Alternatively or additionally, if the
helmet has a headphone or earmuffs (e.g., a noise cancelling
headphone or earmuffs) inside the helmet, the accelerometer may be
mounted or embedded in a padding of the ear of the earmuffs.
However, it should be appreciated that, in some embodiments, the
accelerometer may be positioned anywhere insider the helmet where
the helmet is in contact with the user's body (e.g., user's head,
face, and/or neck). It should also be appreciated that, in some
embodiments, the accelerometer 326 may be positioned on a chinstrap
of the wearable device 302. By mounting the accelerometer 326 in
the wearable device or on a chinstrap that is in contact with the
user's head and/or neck, audio frequencies produced by the user's
vocal cords may be detected in real time. The accelerometer signals
are minimally affected by ambient audio noise, such as the engine
noise. In one example, the accelerometer 326 may be embodied as a
low-noise, high-bandwidth 3-axis accelerometer with a time-division
multiplexing slave interface. In such an example, the signal
bandwidth may be 2340 hertz, and the supply voltage may be between
1.71 and 1.99 voltage.
[0126] The network 350 is any suitable type of computer network
that functionally couples the communication system 310 of the
wearable device 302 with another wearable device 330, and/or the
computing device 360. In some embodiments, the network 350 may be
any suitable type of computer network that functionally couples the
recreational vehicle 340 to one or more computing devices 360
and/or one or more wearable devices. The network 350 may include a
proprietary network, a secure public internet, a virtual private
network and/or one or more other types of networks, such as
dedicated access lines, plain ordinary telephone lines, satellite
links, cellular data networks, or combinations thereof. In
embodiments where the network 350 comprises the Internet, data
communications may take place over the network 350 via an Internet
communication protocol.
[0127] The network 350 may be, or include, any number of different
types of communication networks such as, for example, a bus
network, a short messaging service (SMS), a local area network
(LAN), a wireless LAN (WLAN), a wide area network (WAN), a personal
area network (PAN), the Internet, a P2P network, custom-designed
communication or messaging protocols, and/or the like.
Additionally, the network 350 may also include FM/AM radio, Family
Radio Service (FRS) radio, General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS)
radio, amateur radio, and/or the like. The network 350 may include
a combination of multiple networks.
[0128] It should be appreciated that this diagram is merely an
example, which should not unduly limit the scope of the claims. One
of ordinary skill in the art would recognize many variations,
alternatives, and modifications.
[0129] Referring now to FIG. 4, a computer-implemented method 400
for voice detection in the wearable device 302 using the
accelerometer 326 and the microphones 324 is shown. In the
illustrative embodiment, the method 400 is performed by the
communication system 310 of the wearable device 302. As discussed
above, detecting user's voice using a microphone coupled to a
wearable device in a noisy environment may be challenging because
of sensitivity of the microphone to ambient audio noise or
environment noise, such as engine noise. However, unlike the audio
output signal generated by the microphone, the accelerometer output
signal is minimally affected by ambient audio noise since the
accelerometer is configured to detect audio frequencies produced by
the user's vocal cords in or near real-time. Based on the
accelerometer data, the communication system 310 is able to detect
whether the user is making sound and activates the microphone 324
to obtain the microphone data. In other words, the microphone 324
may be inactive or muted until the communication system 310 detects
the voice or sound of the user. It should be appreciated that, in
some embodiments, the microphone 324 may be always active. As such,
the communication system 310 of the wearable device 302 utilizes
the output signals from the microphones 324 and the accelerometer
326 of the wearable device 302 to detect a voice of the user more
accurately.
[0130] As described above, the accelerometer 326 is configured to
detect audio frequencies produced by the user's vocal cords in
real-time. The detected frequencies can then be accentuated in the
signal path of the microphones 324 to improve voice detection
accuracy. In the illustrative embodiment, frequency detection and
accentuation are done using a low pass filter 402, a beamforming
404, and a high pass filter 406. As shown in FIG. 4, the low pass
filter 402 is connected to the accelerometer 326. Whereas, the high
pass filter 406 is connected to the microphones 324 via a
beamformer or a spatial filter 404.
[0131] The low pass filter 402 is configured to receive the
accelerometer output signals generated by the accelerometer 326 to
remove high frequency noise. In other words, the accelerometer data
provides an audio representation of low frequencies of the voice of
the user.
[0132] The high pass filter 406 is configured to receive the audio
output signals generated by the microphones 324 of the wearable
device 302 to remove low frequency noise (e.g., environment noise).
To do so, the audio output signals from the microphones 324 are
processed using a beamforming technique for directional signal
reception to achieve spatial selectivity via the beamformer or
spatial filter 404. It should be appreciated that a different type
of beamforming technique may be used depending on how the
microphone is mounted or aligned relative to the user's mouth.
[0133] Once the accelerometer output signals and the audio output
signals are processed, the communication system 310 of the wearable
device 302 is configured to combine the filtered output signals to
detect the voice or speech of the user. In other words, the
vibrations of user's head and/or neck detected by the accelerometer
326 is correlated to the sound captured by the microphones 324 to
improve voice detection accuracy. The combined filtered output
signals are transmitted to a destination via wired or wireless
communication. The destination may include another wearable device,
another vehicle, and/or a software application or a server that is
performing the voice recognition.
[0134] It should be appreciated that, in some embodiments, the
transmission of sound through the user's head may cause distortion
in the accelerometer signals at high frequencies and, thus, the
audio quality of the accelerometer signals may be more
representative at lower frequencies. In such embodiments, the
communication system may process accelerometer signals from an
accelerometer alone without the audio output signals from the
microphone to detect the voice of the user with the lower vocal
frequency range, for example, 150 Hz to 1.5 kHz. Additionally, in
such embodiments, the method 400 may be performed (i.e., using
output signals from the accelerometer and the microphones) to
detect a voice of the user with the higher end of the vocal talking
range, for example 1.5 kHz to 4 kHz.
[0135] Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 6, a computer-implemented
method 500 for establishing a communication channel between a
wearable device (e.g., 110, 302) and a recreational vehicle (e.g.,
140, 340) that is in close proximity to the wearable device is
shown. In the illustrative embodiment, the communication channel
may be formed to transfer audio data between the wearable device
and the recreational vehicle. However, it should be appreciated
that the communication channel may also be used to transmit
instructions (e.g., vehicle commands) and/or information (e.g., a
battery life of the wearable device).
[0136] In the illustrative embodiment, the method 500 is performed
by a communication system (e.g., 120, 310) of a wearable device
(e.g., 110, 302). In block 502, the wearable device 110, 302
detects a presence of a recreational vehicle that is in close
proximity to the wearable device 110 to establish a communication
channel between the detected recreational vehicle and the wearable
device 110, 302. For example, the wearable device 110 may include a
communication device that detects whether a recreational vehicle is
in a predefined range of the communication device.
[0137] To do so, in some embodiments, the wearable device 110, 302
(e.g., the communication device of the wearable device) may
determine that the wearable device 110, 302 is in close proximity
to a recreational vehicle using radiofrequency fields generated by
the recreational vehicle, as indicated in block 504. In such
embodiments, the recreational vehicle generates and transmits radio
signals, which may be detected by one or more nearby wearable
devices. Each wearable device 110, 302 determines a strength of the
detected radio signals to determine whether the wearable device
110, 302 is in close proximity to the recreational vehicle, as
indicated in block 506. It should be appreciated that the shorter
the distance between the wearable device 110, 302 and the
recreational vehicle, the stronger the strength of the radio
signals detected by the wearable device 110, 302. As such, if the
wearable device 110, 302 determines that the strength of the radio
signals is above a predefined threshold level, the wearable device
110, 302 determines that the wearable device 110, 302 is in close
proximity to the recreational vehicle, as indicated in block 508.
For example, to reliably detect a high signal strength that is
above the predefined threshold level, the distance between the
wearable device 110, 302 and the recreational vehicle may need to
be less than one meter.
[0138] Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, the
wearable device 110, 302 (e.g., the communication device of the
wearable device) may determine that the wearable device 110, 302 is
in close proximity to a recreational vehicle by determining a
distance from a recreational vehicle using low frequency
electromagnetic fields, as indicated in block 510. In such
embodiments, the recreational vehicle generates low frequency
electromagnetic fields (e.g., 250 KHz) by one or more generating
coils located within the recreational vehicle. The low frequency
electromagnetic fields may be detected by nearby wearable devices
that have one or more receiving coils capable of detecting
electromagnetic waves, as indicated in block 512. Each wearable
device 110, 302 determines a distance from the generating coils of
the recreational vehicle based on a signal strength of the low
frequency electromagnetic fields, as indicated in block 514. It
should be appreciated that the shorter the distance between the
wearable device 110, 302 and the recreational vehicle, the stronger
the signal strength of the low frequency electromagnetic fields
detected by the wearable device 110, 302. As such, if the wearable
device 110, 302 determines that the strength of the low frequency
electromagnetic fields is above a predefined threshold level, the
wearable device 110, 302 determines that the wearable device 110,
302 is in close proximity to the recreational vehicle that is
generating the low frequency electromagnetic fields.
[0139] It should be appreciated that, in some embodiments, the
recreational vehicle may have multiple generating coils within the
recreational vehicle. In such embodiments, the wearable device 110,
302 may further determine a specific seating position of the
wearable device 110, 302 inside the recreational vehicle by
analyzing the directions of the multiple electromagnetic fields
generated by the multiple generating coils. For example, the
electromagnetic field generated by the generating coils in the dash
board of the recreational vehicle may be used to determine whether
the wearable device 110, 302 is in a front seat or a back seat, and
the electromagnetic field generated by the generating coils on
either side of the recreational vehicle may be used to determine
whether the wearable device 110, 302 is position on the left or the
right side of the recreational vehicle.
[0140] However, it should be appreciated that, in some embodiments,
a directional finding or time of flight method may be used to
determine whether the wearable device 110, 302 is in close
proximity to a recreational vehicle.
[0141] Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, the
wearable device 110, 302 (e.g., the communication device of the
wearable device) may determine that the wearable device 110, 302 is
in close proximity to a recreational vehicle by determining a
distance from a recreational vehicle using sound waves, as
indicated in block 516. In such embodiments, the recreational
vehicle generates sound waves by one or more speaker of the
recreational vehicle. The sound waves may be detected by nearby
wearable devices that have one or more microphones capable of
detecting sound waves, as indicated in block 518. Each wearable
device 110, 302 determines a distance from the generating coils of
the recreational vehicle based on an elapsed time of the sound
waves using the speed of sound, as indicated in block 520. The
elapsed time indicates a time duration between the time that the
sound waves were transmitted from the recreational vehicle and the
time the sound waves were received by the wearable device 110, 302.
It should be appreciated that the shorter the distance between the
wearable device 110, 302 and the recreational vehicle, the shorter
the elapsed time determined by the wearable device 110, 302. As
such, if the wearable device 110, 302 determines that the elapsed
time is shorter than a predefined threshold level, the wearable
device 110, 302 determines that the wearable device 110, 302 is in
close proximity to the recreational vehicle that is generating the
sound waves.
[0142] Similarly to the magnetic field, a specific seating position
of the wearable device 110, 302 inside the recreational vehicle may
be determined if the recreational vehicle has multiple speakers for
generating sound waves. In such embodiments, the wearable device
110, 302 may analyze the directions of the sound waves generated by
the multiple speakers to determine the specific seating
position.
[0143] In some embodiments, the wearable device 110 may communicate
with a seat of the recreational vehicle to determine the seating
position of the wearable device within the recreational vehicle.
For example, as described further below in FIG. 10, each seat of
the recreational vehicle may include a wireless charging pad to
wirelessly charge a wearable device that is in close proximity to
the charging pad of the seat. In such embodiments, by using a
unique identification of the charging pad, a specific seating
position of the wearable device 110, 302 inside the recreational
vehicle may be determined.
[0144] It should be appreciated that the wearable device 110, 304
may enable a directional communication based on the seating
position. In other words, the wearable device 110, 304 may transmit
sound to the user of the wearable device via one or more speakers
of the wearable device to indicate a direction where the sound
actually is coming from. For example, if a passenger is sitting in
a passenger seat of a recreational vehicle and is talking to a
driver in a driver seat that is positioned at the left side of the
passenger seat, the voice of the passenger is captured and
communicated to the driver. To indicate that the sound is coming
from the right side of the driver, the sound in the left ear is
delayed to account for the sound travelling around the head. It
should be appreciated that the amount of delay changes depending on
a position of the driver's head (i.e., a distance between the
drivers' ear and the source of the sound).
[0145] In block 522, the wearable device 110, 302 determines
whether the wearable device 110, 302 detected a recreational
vehicle that in close proximity to the wearable device 110, 302. If
the wearable device 110, 302 determines that the recreational
vehicle is not in close proximity to the wearable device 110, 302,
the method 500 loops back to block 502 to continue to determine a
presence of a recreational vehicle in close proximity to the
wearable device 110, 302. If, however, the wearable device 110, 302
determines that the recreational vehicle is in close proximity to
the wearable device 110, 302, the method 500 advances to block
524.
[0146] In block 524, the wearable device 110, 302 determines if the
wearable device 110, 302 has been previously paired with the
detected recreational vehicle. If the wearable device 110, 302
determines that the wearable device 110, 302 has not been
previously paired with the detected recreational vehicle, the
method 500 advances to block 528 to perform an initial pairing to
setup a communication channel between the wearable device 110, 302
and the detected recreational vehicle. To do so, the wearable
device 110, 302 may prompt a user (e.g., a wearer) of the wearable
device 110, 302 to pair with the detected recreational vehicle that
is in in close proximity to the wearable device 110, 302, as
indicated in block 530. Upon receiving an authorization from the
user in block 532, the wearable device 110, 302 communicates with
the detected recreational vehicle to establish a communication
channel, as indicated in block 534.
[0147] It should be appreciated that, in some embodiments, the
detected recreational vehicle may prompt a user (e.g., a
driver/rider) of the recreational vehicle (e.g., on a display
screen of the recreational vehicle) whether to pair with the
wearable device 110, 302 that is in close proximity to the
recreational vehicle. In such embodiments, upon receiving an
authorization from the user, the recreational vehicle communicates
with the wearable device 110, 302 to establish a communication
channel.
[0148] Referring back to block 526, if the wearable device 110, 302
determines that the wearable device 110, 302 has been previously
paired with the detected recreational vehicle, the method 500 skips
ahead to block 536 to automatically establish a radio connection
channel with the detected recreational vehicle. The method 500
allows the wearable device 110, 302 to automatically establish a
communication link with the recreational vehicle when the wearable
device 110, 302 comes near or is within the recreational vehicle
without needing to perform multiple steps of a pairing process
(e.g., blocks 528-534). It should be appreciated that the wearable
device 110, 302 may automatically connect with another wearable
device that is also paired with the same recreational vehicle when
both wearable devices are near or within the recreational vehicle.
This may allow direct communication between the wearable devices
that are near or within the same recreational vehicle.
[0149] It should be appreciated that, although the method 500 is
performed by the wearable device 110, 302 to detect a presence of a
recreational vehicle that is in close proximity to the wearable
device 110, 302 to establish a communication channel between the
wearable device 110, 302 and the detected recreational vehicle, a
similar method may be performed by a recreational vehicle (e.g.,
140, 340) to detect one or more wearable devices that are in close
proximity to the recreational vehicle to establish a communication
channel between the recreational vehicle and the detected wearable
devices. In such embodiments, the recreational vehicle may detect a
specific seat position of the wearable device inside the
recreational vehicle by using multiple generating coils and/or
speakers within the recreational vehicle. For example, the
generating coils in the dash board of the recreational vehicle may
be used to determine whether the wearable device is in a front seat
or a back seat, and the generating coils on either side of the
recreational vehicle may be used to determine whether the wearable
device is position on the left or the right side of the
recreational vehicle.
[0150] Referring now to FIGS. 7-9, a computer-implemented method
700 for minimizing a battery power usage of a wearable device
(e.g., 110, 302, 1010). Constantly supplying battery power to a
wearable device may waste a battery of the wearable device.
Generally, a wearable device relies on a user of the wearable
device to control the power usage of the wearable device. For
example, the user may turn on the power of the wearable device when
the user needs to use the wearable device to, for example, transmit
voice commands to a recreational vehicle, listen to music, and/or
participate in telephone or radio communications. The user may then
turn off the power of the wearable device to preserve a battery of
the wearable device when the wearable device is not in use.
However, not only is burdensome for the user to turn on and off the
wearable device, but the user may forget to turn it off when it is
not in use, thus, unnecessarily draining the battery of the
wearable. Additionally or alternatively, the wearable device may be
turned off if a predefined time period has passed after a detection
of an end of an audio content input. However, in this case, the
wearable device may not account for the use of the wearable device
without audio content or with intermittent content (e.g., an
intercom).
[0151] As such, in the illustrative embodiment, a wearable device
(e.g., 110, 302, 1010) is configured to minimize a battery power
usage by automatically controlling, periodically or continually, an
activation of one or more features of the wearable device. For
example, if the wearable device is not in use after a predefined
period of time after the wearable device is turned on, the wearable
device may enable a low power mode to minimize a battery usage. The
low power mode may include disabling noise-cancelling feature,
reducing radio traffic, and/or disabling one or more features that
may unnecessarily consume the battery.
[0152] The method 700 is performed by the wearable device. In block
702, the wearable device determines if the wearable device is near
or inside a recreational vehicle. To do so, blocks 502-520 of FIG.
5 of the method 500 may be performed to determine whether the
wearable device is in close proximity to a recreational vehicle. As
described in blocks 502-520, the wearable device may determine its
location relative to a recreational vehicle by using radio
frequency fields, magnetic fields, and/or sound waves. If the
wearable device determines that the wearable device is near or
inside a recreational vehicle, the method 700 advances to block
706.
[0153] In block 706, the wearable device communicates with the
recreational vehicle to determine a state of an engine of the
detected recreational vehicle. To do so, the wearable device may
periodically or continually measure a harmonic content of the
engine for a predefined period of time to determine the engine
state (e.g., whether the engine is turned on or off), as indicated
in block 708. Additionally or alternatively, the wearable device
may receive a message (e.g., a direct radio signal) from the
recreational vehicle that includes an engine state, as indicated in
block 710.
[0154] If the wearable device determines that the engine of the
recreational vehicle is running in block 712, the method 700
advances to block 714 to activate the wearable device with a
noise-cancelling feature to remove environment noise (e.g., engine
noise, tire noise, wind noise) from audio data captured by a
microphone(s) of the recreational vehicle. If, however, the
wearable device determines that the engine of the recreational
vehicle is off, the method 700 skips ahead to block 728 of FIG. 9,
which is described further below.
[0155] Referring back to block 704, if the wearable device
determines that the wearable device is not near or insider a
recreational vehicle, the method 700 skips ahead to block 716 of
FIG. 8. In block 716, the wearable device activates the wearable
device without the noise-cancelling feature. In other words, if the
wearable device is not near or inside a recreational vehicle, the
wearable device determines that the wearable device is not being
used for riding of a recreational vehicle. As such, the
noise-cancelling feature of the wearable device to cancel
environment noise (e.g., engine noise, tire noise, wind noise) need
not be activated. It should be appreciated that, by inactivating
the noise-cancelling feature, the usage of the battery of the
wearable device may be reduced.
[0156] Subsequently, the wearable device starts a first timer and
determines if the first timer exceeds the first predefined
threshold, as indicated in blocks 718 and 720, respectively. If the
wearable device determines that the first timer (i.e., the elapsed
time) exceeds the first predefined threshold in block 722, the
wearable device determines that the wearable device is not in use
and, thus, the wearable device is no longer needed to be activated.
Subsequently, the method 700 advances to block 724 to enable the
low power mode of the wearable device to minimize the battery power
usage. Additionally, in some embodiments, the low power mode of the
wearable device may be enabled if the wearable device has no
movement for a predefined period of time based on sensor data
generated by one or more sensors of the wearable device.
[0157] If, however, the wearable device determines that the first
timer does not exceed the first predefined threshold, the method
700 advances to block 726 to determine whether the location of the
wearable device relative to a recreational vehicle has changed. If
the wearable device determines that the wearable device is still
not near or inside the recreational vehicle, the method 700 loops
back to block 720 to continue determining whether the elapsed time
exceeds the first predefined threshold. If, however, the wearable
device determines that the wearable device is now near or inside
the recreational vehicle, the method 700 loops back to block 706 to
determine whether the detected recreational vehicle is turned on by
determining a state of the engine of the recreational vehicle, as
described above.
[0158] Referring back to block 712, if the wearable device
determines that the engine is not running, the method 700 advances
to block 728 of FIG. 9. In block 728, the wearable device activates
the wearable device without the noise-cancelling feature. In other
words, if the engine of the recreational vehicle is not running,
the wearable device determines that the wearable device is not
being used for riding of a recreational vehicle. As such, the
noise-cancelling feature of the wearable device to cancel
environment noise (e.g., engine noise, tire noise, wind noise) need
not be activated. Again, by inactivating the noise-cancelling
feature, the usage of the battery of the wearable device may be
reduced.
[0159] Subsequently, the wearable device starts a second timer and
determines if the second timer exceeds the second predefined
threshold, as indicated in blocks 730 and 732, respectively. If the
wearable device determines that the second timer (i.e., the elapsed
time) exceeds the second predefined threshold in block 734, the
wearable device determines that the wearable device is not in use
and, thus, the wearable device no longer needed to be activated. As
such, the method 700 advances to block 738 to enable the low power
mode of the wearable device to minimize the battery power
usage.
[0160] If, however, the wearable device determines that the second
timer does not exceed the second predefined threshold, the method
700 advances to block 736 to determine whether the engine state of
the recreational vehicle has changed (i.e., the engine of the
recreational vehicle is running). If the wearable device determines
that the recreational vehicle is still not running, the method 700
loops back to block 732 to continue determining whether the elapsed
time exceeds the second predefined threshold. If, however, the
wearable device determines that the recreational vehicle is now
running, the method 700 loops back to block 714 to activate the
wearable device with the noise-cancelling feature.
[0161] Referring now to FIG. 10, a system 1000 for wirelessly
charging a wearable device 1010 (e.g., a helmet) while riding a
recreational vehicle (e.g., 140, 340) is shown. To do so, the
recreational vehicle includes a charging pad 1022 (e.g., a
transmission coil) for generating a magnetic field, and the
wearable device 1010 includes a receiver 1012 for detecting the
magnetic field and charging a battery (or providing operating
power) to the wearable device 1010 when the magnetic field is
detected. By providing a wireless charging capability of the
wearable device 1010 with the recreational vehicle during the ride,
the user need not worry about charging the wearable device 1010 in
advance and is free of any cords that may need to be connected to
the recreational vehicle for wire charging. In the illustrative
embodiment, the wirelessly charging method includes resonance
wireless charging, which allows the wearable device 1010 to be
charged over a small distance from the charging pad 1022 of the
recreational vehicle. However, in some embodiments, it may utilize
any other wireless charging method to provide power from the
recreational vehicle to the wearable device.
[0162] In the illustrative embodiment, the charging pad 1022 is
embedded in a headrest of the seat 1020 of the recreational
vehicle, while the receiver 1012 is embedded at the back of the
wearable device 1010. This allows the receiver 1012 to be
positioned in close proximity to the charging pad 1022 for wireless
charging when a user (e.g., a wearer) of the wearable device 1010
is on the recreational vehicle. However, it should be appreciated
that, in some embodiments, the charging pad 1022 may be embedded
in, mounted on, or otherwise attached to any portion of the
recreational vehicle, and the receiver 1012 may be embedded in,
mounted on, or otherwise attached to any portion of the wearable
device 1010 as long as the receiver 1012 is coupled to a battery of
the wearable device 1010.
[0163] Referring now to FIG. 11, an example screenshot 1100 of a
display screen of a recreational vehicle when a user (e.g., a
driver/rider) of the recreational vehicle is not following a
leading recreational vehicle is shown. When users (drivers/riders)
are travelling together on a separate recreational vehicle, the
recreational vehicles of the users may communicate with one another
to make sure that they are generally travelling together. To do so,
in the illustrative embodiment, the users designates one of their
recreational vehicles as a leading recreational vehicle, and the
non-leading recreational vehicles are guided toward the leading
recreational vehicle. This allows the users to ride freely without
worrying about losing his or her group members.
[0164] In the illustrative embodiment, a non-leading recreational
vehicle 1110 displays its current location 1110 and a current
location of a leading recreational vehicle 1120 on a map. The
non-leading recreational vehicle further displays relative
locations of the other non-leading recreational vehicles in the
group, as shown in a section 1130 of the display screen. If the
non-leading recreational vehicle 1110 detects that the non-leading
recreational vehicle 1110 is not following a leading recreational
vehicle, the non-leading recreational vehicle 1110 displays a
visual warning alert 1140 on the display screen to catch the user's
attention. For example, the non-leading recreational vehicle 1110
determines that it is not following the leading recreational
vehicle if it is outside of a predefined threshold distance from
the travel route of the leading vehicle 1120. It should be
appreciated that the predefined threshold distance may be set by
the user of the non-leading recreational vehicle 1110.
[0165] Additionally, the non-leading recreational vehicle 1110 may
also play a warning sound via one or more speakers of the
non-leading recreational vehicle 1110 to alert the user that the
user is not following the leading recreational vehicle 1120. In
some embodiments, the non-leading recreational vehicle 1110 may
reduce a volume of any audio sounds currently playing via the
speaker(s) when playing the warning sound. Such visual and/or audio
alerts keep the users in the group to travel together toward the
generally the same direction as the leading recreational vehicle.
It should be appreciated that, in some embodiments, the visual
and/or audio alerts may be silenced and/or disabled.
[0166] Referring now to FIG. 12, an example screenshot 1200 of a
display screen of a recreational vehicle (e.g., 140) is shown. The
illustrative recreational vehicle is configured to add point of
interest markers in augmented reality to a live surrounding view of
the environment on the display screen to assist with navigation
during a ride. To do so, the illustrative recreational vehicle
includes an augmented reality system, surround view cameras, a
compass, and a communication system that provides
vehicle-to-vehicle communication of GPS coordinates of its
respective location.
[0167] In certain riding conditions, there is not clearly defined
trails. Users riding recreational vehicles in an open environment
without clearly defined trails (e.g., sand dunes, open water, and
open frozen lakes) generally care about a final destination
location but do not require a pre-determined route to get to the
destination. In such cases, the augmented reality system of the
recreational vehicle may allow the user to navigate based off of
point of interest locations (e.g., a destination location, a start
location, a geographical location, and/or other user's location).
Such a system allows the user to move toward the general direction
of the final destination without having to affix on a
pre-determined route.
[0168] For example, if a user is riding a recreational vehicle in
sand dunes, the recreational vehicle may display on a display
screen of the recreational vehicle a present view of the
environment in a direction that the user is travelling. It should
be appreciated that this view is similar to the scenery that the
user is viewing when riding the recreational vehicle at that
moment. The recreational vehicle may further determine the present
location of Rider 1 (i.e., another user of another recreational
vehicle), Old Hill (i.e., an interest location), and Home Base
(i.e., may be a destination location and/or a start location)
relative to the recreational vehicle and overlay those locations in
the direction the present view of the environment is shown in the
display screen. The example of the display screen is shown in the
screenshot 1200. This allows the user to gauge general direction to
get to such locations.
[0169] In some embodiments, the augmented reality feature may be
implemented in a wearable device that is communicatively coupled to
a recreational vehicle. For example, the wearable device may be a
helmet, a head-up display, goggles, glasses, contact lenses, face
shield, or any other wearable device capable of displaying
augmented reality elements. In such embodiments, the screenshot
1200 may be displayed on a transparent display of the wearable
device.
[0170] It should be appreciated that, in other embodiments, the
augmented reality feature may be implemented in a wearable device
of a passenger of recreational vehicles for gamification during the
ride. To do so, the wearable device may include one or more cameras
mounted on the exterior of the wearable device to capture the live
stream of the environment. In such embodiments, augmented reality
elements of a game are added to a live view on a transparent
display of the wearable device. The user may play the game by the
movement of the user's head and/or using a controller device (e.g.,
a handheld controller). In some embodiments, the controller device
(e.g., a turret, an arcade-style controller) may be mounted on a
passenger grab handle and may be detachable from the grab handle.
It should be appreciated that multiple wearable devices of
passengers of one or more recreational vehicles may communicate
with one another to participate in the same game. It should be
appreciated that, in some embodiments, the driver of the
recreational vehicle may participate in the game.
[0171] Referring now to FIG. 13, an exemplary helmet 1300 with a
goggle light indicator is shown. The goggle light indicator 1310 is
adapted to communicate with a rider, who is wearing the helmet 1300
and a goggle 1320. To do so, the goggle light indicator 1310
includes a light emitting diode (LED) 1330 embedded in the helmet
1300 and a light pipe 1340 embedded in the goggle 1320. In the
illustrative embodiment, the goggle 1320 is removable from the
helmet 1300. However, in some embodiments, the goggle 1320 may be
integrated into and part of the helmet 1300.
[0172] The light pipe 1340 is adapted to transfer light from the
helmet mounted LED 1330 into the field of view of the rider on the
goggle 1320. In the illustrative embodiment, the light pipe 1340 is
made of acrylic or polycarbonate. However, it should be appreciated
that the light pipe 1340 may be made of any material that has a
light-reflective property. The light pipe 1340 is configured to
provide an indication or a notification to the rider. For example,
the LED 1330 may emit light in response to detecting a voice
activity. Additionally or alternatively, the LED 1330 may emit
light to indicate that a ride partner is out of a communication
range or that a distance between the rider and the ride partner
exceeds a predefined threshold. It should be appreciated that the
goggle light indicator 1310 is used to indicate various
notifications associated with a vehicle and/or a mobile device of
the rider.
[0173] In some embodiments, the LED 1330 may illuminate with a
particular blinking pattern to indicate a certain type of
indication or notification. In other words, different blinking
patterns may be associated with different indications or
notifications. In such embodiments, the rider may customize the
blinking patterns on the mobile device and/or the vehicle. Although
only one LED and one light pipe are illustrated in FIG. 13, in some
embodiments, the goggle light indicator 1310 may include multiple
LEDs with respective light pipes. Each LED and light pipe may be
associated with a different type of indication or notification.
Additionally or alternatively, multiple LEDs may be configured,
such that a combination of LEDs (e.g., a number of emitted lights
or a light pattern) is associate with a certain type of indication
or notification. Additionally, in some embodiments, each of the
LEDs may have a different color of the light representing a
particular type of indication or notification. In such embodiments,
the color associated with indication or notification may be
configurable by the rider on the mobile device and/or the
vehicle.
[0174] Referring now to FIG. 14, a smart earpiece actuation system
1400 of a helmet 1410 of a rider of a vehicle 1450 is shown. The
helmet 1410 includes a set of earpieces 1420, a set of actuators
1430, and an electronic control unit (ECU) 1440 communicatively
coupled to the set of actuators 1430. Each actuator 1430 is
associated with a respective earpiece 1420 to control positions of
the earpieces 1420 relative to the rider's ears or head. However,
it should be apricated that, in some embodiments, a single actuator
may control both earpieces 1420. The ECU 1440 is configured to
communicate with the vehicle 1450 to receive or obtain a vehicle
state of the vehicle 1450 in real-time or in near real-time to
control the actuators 1430 associated with earpieces 1420 of the
helmet 1410. For example, the vehicle state includes a gear
position (e.g., drive gear, neutral gear, and park), an engine
speed, a vehicle speed, vehicle acceleration, and/or vehicle
deceleration. The automatic control of the relative position of the
earpieces based on the vehicle state may improve the rider's
overall riding experience.
[0175] As an example, when the rider puts on the helmet 1410 and
the vehicle is not turned on or the gear is in a park position, the
ECU 1440 does not activate the actuators 1430. When the rider
shifts the vehicle 1450 to a drive gear (e.g., H/L or 1-6), the ECU
1440 automatically activates the actuators 1430 to push the
earpieces 1420 into the rider's ears. This reduces an amount of
noise (e.g., engine noise, tire noise, wind noise) entering the
earpieces 1420 that may hinder the rider's ability to hear the
sounds coming from one or more speakers (e.g., speakers within the
earpieces 1420) of the helmet 1410 during rides. It should be
appreciated that, in some embodiments, the ECU 1440 may adjust the
positions of the actuators 1430 based on an engine speed, a vehicle
speed, a vehicle acceleration, and/or a vehicle deceleration to
further increase or decrease how hard the earpieces are being
pressed against the rider's ears or head. When the rider shifts
back out of the drive gear (e.g., to a neutral gear or a park
position), the ECU 1440 automatically activates the actuators 1430
to move the earpieces 1420 back away from the rider's ears. This
allows the rider to easily hear the environment sounds (e.g.,
talking). This may also allow the rider to easily remove the helmet
1410.
[0176] Referring now to FIG. 15, an exemplary smart helmet energy
management system 1500 of a helmet 1510 of a rider of a vehicle is
shown. In the illustrative embodiment, the helmet 1510 includes an
in-helmet energy regulator 1520, an in-helmet battery 1530, and a
heated shield 1540.
[0177] Generally, smart helmets include various components that
need power to function. For example, in the illustrative
embodiment, the helmet 1510 includes a heated shield that needs
power to provide heat to a shield of the helmet 1510. However, in
cold weather conditions, the in-helmet battery 1530 may have
limited capabilities with lower power output and energy content.
This yields to a lower run time of the heated shield 1540. In order
to provide sufficient power output to the helmet 1510 during rides
in various weather conditions, the helmet 1510 may be connected to
an external power source 1550 via the in-helmet energy regulator
1520 of the helmet 1510. In the illustrative embodiment, the
external power source 1550 is 12-voltage power from the vehicle or
other power sources (e.g., a portable power bank). The in-helmet
energy regulator 1520 is configured to determine a battery level of
the in-helmet battery 1530 and control a power distribution to
charge, maintain, and supplement energy to the heated shield 1540,
other components of the helmet 1510, and/or other components that
are coupled to the helmet 1510 (e.g., a heated garment) that need
power.
[0178] For example, if the in-helmet energy regulator 1520
determines that the battery level of the in-helmet battery 1530 is
below a threshold level, the in-helmet energy regulator 1520 may
use the external power source 1550 to charge the in-helmet battery
1530. If, however, the in-helmet energy regulator 1520 determines
that the battery level of the in-helmet battery 1530 is above the
threshold level, the in-helmet energy regulator 1520 may use the
external power source 1550 to maintain the battery level of the
in-helmet battery 1530. Additionally or alternatively, depending on
the battery level of the in-helmet battery 1530, the in-helmet
energy regulator 1520 may supply energy directly from the external
power source 1550 to the heated shield 1540, other components of
the helmet 1510, and/or other components that are coupled to the
helmet 1510. In some embodiments, the in-helmet energy regulator
1520 may supply energy directly from the external power source 1550
in response to detecting that the external power source 1530 is
connected to the helmet 1510 regardless of the battery level of the
in-helmet battery 1530.
[0179] The above specification, examples and data provide a
complete description of the manufacture and use of the composition
of the invention. Since many embodiments of the invention can be
made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention,
the invention resides in the claims hereinafter appended.
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